the
source of the sounds. (4) The keen eyes of the predator will then
pinpoint the source of the sounds. (5) If the hunter is acting like my
partner, odds are the predator will see him and quickly vacate the area.
Think about it. When a predator hears the sounds of a rabbit in
distress, and responds, it is expecting to see a distressed rabbit, not
a bulk of camouflage singing the bunny blues.
SONGS
SUNG BLUE…
When
using a manual caller, hunters should remember what we have just
reviewed. Hunters should also remember to call with enthusiasm. Simply
blowing air into a caller does not really accomplish our goal. If
suddenly some big hairy critter dug their claws into your ribs, sank
their teeth into your back, and planned on eating you, would you go,
"Ouch"?
Personally,
I would express my feelings loudly and angrily. Pain is not a pleasant
experience. Therefore, when we use a caller to mimic something in
distress, make it sound distressful, and put the sounds of agony into
your calling. Use your imagination while you are calling. Learn to
create the sounds of pain and misery with the caller without moving.
This is accomplished from learning to adjust the amount of air you exert
into the caller.
BEING
THE PIED PIPER…
When
used properly, a predator call can be somewhat of a magical instrument.
The predator caller can lure the critters we seek from their hiding
places. The caller can place critters in our gun sights and make us
happy. Using a caller properly comes from knowing the sounds we wish to
mimic and practicing with the caller until we achieve our goals.
Practice
with the caller should not be conducted in the areas we plan to hunt.
Hunting areas should be reserved for our best calling and nothing else.
Practice should be conducted with either a friend or tape recorder. In
fact, when possible, practice in a manner for which you can observe or
review your moments. This can be very important, as in the case of my
friend, we often do things without realizing exactly what we we’re
doing. But I can promise those critters we’re trying to call know the
difference.
THE
MAGIC MACHINES…
My
introduction to electronic calling was during the early days of the
1970s. After earning money throwing hundreds of bales of hay, I became
the proud owner of a Bounty Hunter electronic game caller.
The
caller basically was nothing more than a portable record player. The
machine ran off of six "D" size batteries that generally were
drained within a couple hours of operation. A big and bulky speaker with
twenty-five feet of cord was also part of the apparatus. Sounds were
created from the 45 r.p.m. records which were extremely delicate. The
slightest scratch was almost fatal to the recording. But the machine and
its records proved to be deadly on varmints.
Advancements
in electronic game callers quickly became an annual event. The machines
became smaller and lighter. Sounds transformed from records to cassette
tapes. Speakers became smaller and easier to hide from the keen eyes of
the critters. Units became available with rechargeable batteries. Life
was getting better for those who viewed the callers as a necessity.
MODERN
MARVELS…
Today
anyone can be game calling guru with a modern electronic caller. Units
of the day all basically feature state of the art digital programming.
Some units like the Fox Pro FX3 features 32 different sounds, an
enhanced TX5-LR remote can be used up to 700 yards away. This unit also
has numerous other features that make calling almost any critter
possible. Check it out on the web at www.gofoxpro.com
or at www.predatorandpreymag.com. |